Arrow
by Slytheringal39
Summary: "Who would like to bid on this fine slave?" I studied the tent. Merchants rushed up to the crate, and even nobles leisurely walked up to study me. In the back of the tent, the Prince sat quietly on a small stool. Our eyes met, but he quickly looked away.
1. Prologue

A.R.R.O.W

Prologue

There was a time, long ago, when I loved my sisters. There may have even been a time when they once loved me. But as we grew older, that all changed. It had to, given that we were from different birthmothers. Worse: I am the daughter of the woman whom they hated most, the woman who took their mother's place as the wife of my father, David of Biddle.

When I was born, my father forgot about my five elder sisters and my one elder brother: Adelaide, Marie, Stella, Angel, Grace, and Seth. Instead, he diverted all of his attention to me. At first, my sisters loved me for my sweetness; or so my brother says. However, as I grew older, they turned bitter upon seeing that I would become fairer than they. Only Seth understood me. He knew I hated my beauty and my birthmother, but he did not judge me. We spent all our lives in each other's company until, one day, the slave traders arrived.


	2. The Stranger

Chapter One

The Stranger

"Hello."

I looked up. There stood a boy, about my age, smiling at me.

I took a step back. Usually, when people smiled at me, it was to give me endless lectures on the dangers of leaving my home, compliment me on my beauty, or to scold me for a minor problem. So, I didn't answer, and was about to turn back when he spoke to me again.

"Wait," he seemed to whisper, "Don't go."

Somehow, those words were able to pull me back. It was as if an invisible force was pulling me towards him. Maybe it was because I was intrigued at the prospect of talking to a stranger, or maybe because I wasn't in any hurry to return to my stepsisters. In any case, I relented.

"Yes? What do you want?"

Usually, I was a bit more cordial with strangers, but I was in no mood for manners. The boy laughed, which angered me to the point that I could barely control myself.

"What are you doing alone in the forest?"

It was a simple question. Yet, it was one that I could not answer truthfully. In the Kingdom of Biddle, it was forbidden to visit the forest unless you were a hunter.

"I could ask the same of you." I replied, giving him my most menacing glare. He laughed again.

"I know you're lost. So admit it."

That angered me.

"I am not lost! I just snuck into Biddle forest to practice my archery!"

I realized my error too late. Now, the boy was near tears.

"Who are you anyways?" I inquired.

"Be-n-ja-mi-n-of-Kul-or-nia." He could hardly contain his laughter.

"Well then, Benjamin of Kulornia, what is your purpose in Biddle forest? Assuming that you are a foreigner running from the men of your country."

Benjamin opened his mouth to answer, but at that very moment, the bushes behind us rustled, and you could clearly hear the rough and course voices of the hunters. I ran, so blindly and recklessly that I didn't know which way to go. My only objective was to get away from the hunters. When I finally grew tired and slowed my steps, the hunters were nowhere to be seen, but I was hopelessly lost. Panicked, I searched for signs of a path to the village, but all I found was thorns, trees, and bushes. Thinking that I would never find my way home, I began to weep, but as I remembered my mother's words, I stopped. Mother always said that tears are only wetness and no comfort at all, and she was right.

As I pondered my thoughts, I felt a hand upon my shoulder and turned to see Benjamin, who was smiling down at me. I quickly composed my face and stood to face him assaulting laughter, but when he spoke, his words were comforting.

"Are you lost?"

"Yes," I mumbled.

"Follow me."

I was surprised at his lack of amusement, but I didn't argue. I only followed him through the forest.

After walking nearly two hours, there was a speck of light in the distance. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, and everything turned black.


	3. Whoever said Home Was Sweet?

Chapter Two

Whoever said home was sweet?

"Arabella? Dear, are you all right?"

I tried to open my eyes to the sound of my mother's voice, but it seemed as if they were as heavy as bricks.

"Mother, can't you see that she's fine? She's just pretending to be sick just so she can gain attention!" My stepsister, Stella, was as snide as ever.

"Stella!" My mother sounded aghast.

"Don't worry about it, mother, it's how she always is," remarked the voice of my brother, Seth.

"Let me try," urged yet another voice in the room.

Suddenly, a blanket of ice water covered me from head to toe, and my eyes popped open.

Before me, stood the blurry figures of Seth, Stella, my mother, and Benjamin.

"She lives!" Seth smirked.

"Pardon my remedy, miss, but your family was so worried!" Benjamin apologized.

"I wasn't worried," Stella remarked.

"Well, I was!" Grace, my eldest stepsister, swept into the room, "You nearly scared us all to death!"

I knew that it wasn't true. Grace was only trying to impress my mother by seeming to care about me when the others didn't. My other sisters didn't care. They preferred to show their true feelings than to lie about them. As I studied my small cottage room, I noticed how Grace batted her eyelashes at Benjamin while she poured me a cup of herb tea.

"I'm sorry to have worried you so much, but I'm fine, really." I sighed.

My mother seemed to be taken aback.

"Oh, well I have some business to attend to, so I will see you all in the morning." She briskly replied as she swept out of the room.

As if on cue, a messenger rushed into my small room and delivered a message to Benjamin.

"My master requests your company."

"Very well," Benjamin replied as he began to pack his possessions.

The messenger left in a hurry.

"You're leaving?" My sister could not hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Yes, I believe it is a very important matter, and so I must leave with haste." Benjamin intoned as he rose from my old wooden chair.

My sister's face fell, and I could see that she was desperately trying to think of an excuse to make him stay. Benjamin quickly realized his situation and tried to convince her to let him go.

"Do not worry, I will be back to pay my respects to your father."

With those parting words, he hurried out the door, and Grace rushed to the window to watch him depart. When she was sure he had gone, Grace turned and glowered at me.

"Oh, sweet sister, I believe that the man is in love with you," she sneered. "But of course it is of no matter of concern for you, for you can bewitch any man to your liking!"

Grace stormed out of the cottage door, forever shutting me out of her life.


	4. Love is My Folly

Chapter Three

Love Is My Folly

For the next four years that followed, I spent all of my time with Seth, and I never set my eyes on Benjamin of Kulornia again. My stepsisters continued to loathe me, and my mother began to scold me for minor mistakes, such as dropping the water bucket into the well.

On the eve of my fourteenth birthday, I spotted the silhouette of a young man coming toward the cottage. Since we usually had no visitors at our home, I notified my mother and sisters, who immediately joined me in our garden.

"Oh stepmother!" chattered Adelaide and Marie. "A visitor!"

"Hush," my mother cautioned as the stranger drew near.

My elder sisters quickly lined up beside one another, and Angel purposely pushed me to the ground.

"Welcome," my mother greeted the stranger warmly, "What brings you to Biddle, sir?"

I desperately tried to see the stranger's face, but since I was on the ground behind my sisters, their long and fat legs concealed not only me, but my view as well.

"I have come to pay my respects to the loyal people of Biddle."

The stranger's voice sounded so familiar!

"And who may those people be?" my mother inquired.

"The villagers, and those among the outskirts of town."

Without warning, my stepsisters disassembled from their formation, and although I was still concealed from the stranger, I was allowed to have my first look at him.

He was tall, with hair the color of a chestnut brown and eyes that were a startling shade of green. I've seen eyes of that same color before, although I have forgotten when.

"Angel!" my mother barked. "Prepare a cup of our finest herb tea for this young man!"

"Yes, mother!" Angel replied in her sweetest voice, making sure that the stranger knew that it was she who would prepare the cup of tea. I couldn't help rolling my eyes at her changed behavior, and Seth couldn't help but let out a small laugh that he immediately covered with fake coughs.

We followed Adelaide, Marie, Stella, Angel, and Grace into the cottage, but we stayed hidden from the stranger's view. Besides, mother would never notice this amid the giggles of my stepsisters.

"Who do you suppose he is?" Adelaide whispered to Stella, unable to hide her smile.

"Well, he does look around my age!" Grace gazed longingly at the stranger.

"Grace! You cannot surely assess a person for his age! You must do so by his passion for love!" Marie was having a romantic daydream again.

The girls were interrupted by my mother's cries.

"Arabella!"

"Yes, mother?" I didn't bother hiding my irritation.

"Will you -"

Mother only got through half of her sentence before the stranger, who spoke in an amused tone, interrupted her.

"Miss, do you know who I am?"

It took me a moment to realize that he was speaking to me.

"No, sir."

That made him laugh, and ignoring his laughter, I was just about to return to my room when I was struck by a memory.

"You!" I couldn't control my astonishment, " You're Benjamin of Kulornia!"

I could hear my sisters' audible gasps behind me, but I paid no attention to them as I glared menacingly at my long forgotten enemy.

"What are you doing here?" I didn't bother to act cordially.

"I came to pay my respects."

"After four years?" Grace spoke up.

"Hush up, girls!"

My mother seemed to have recovered from her reverie. After, ushering us all out of the house, she shut the wooden door and returned to conversing with Benjamin. My sisters, Seth, and I all watched from the window while my mother seemed to seethe at Benjamin's words. We waited for five minutes until finally, mother ushered him out of the cottage and ordered him to leave Biddle. Benjamin relented, his spirits seemed sunken as he walked past our garden and followed the path to the forest. He didn't look back, nor did I.

It was dark outside when I awakened from my nightmare. The dream was a frenzy of horrible scenes, but one I remembered was of Benjamin's retreating back as he walked gloomily towards the forest. Within seconds, I made my decision.

I changed into my day clothes, took my treasured bow and arrow in the case of emergencies, and retraced Benjamin's steps into the forest.


	5. Sisters? You Must Be Joking!

Chapter Four

Sisters? You Must Be Joking!

As I pushed past the forest's dense, overgrown trees and bushes, I heard familiar voices in the distance. Curiosity, being one of my greatest weaknesses, led me through the forest, and as I drew near, I could clearly hear the voices of my five sisters. I stepped behind a tree and listened to the conversation.

"Just lure her to this spot," Benjamin's voice rang out loudest.

"It's impossible! She always spends her time with Seth, our cursed older brother!"

"Nothing is impossible, dear."

Stella's voice wavered, "If we bring her to you, where will you take her?"

Benjamin replied, "We will sell her at a local market in a nearby kingdom. Her beauty will make a large profit."

"And how much of the profit will you give us?" Grace's voice was eager.

"When you bring her to me, you will receive a pouch of this silver, and when I sell her, you will receive fifty percent of the profit."

I was struck with a tremendous fear when I realized that they meant to sell me. Knowing that I was in great danger, I put forth a trembling foot, waiting for the right moment to sprint out of the forest.

"My men will travel swiftly for your safety, ladies." Benjamin's voice rang out again as I lost my balance and fell atop a rotting log, which emitted a loud CRACK in the process. Without a moment's loss, I pulled myself up and sprinted towards my home, but almost immediately, I felt a large weight on my back as I tumbled to the ground.

"Ralph! Finn!" Benjamin shouted, "Tie the girl up, but be careful not to ruin her pretty face."

I thrashed and struggled, but Benjamin finally silenced me with a punch. My sisters stood there the whole time, perhaps waiting for their payment. As Ralph and Finn, two burly-looking men, carried me through the forest, I shared my last words with them.

"Sisters? You must be joking."


	6. The Slave Market

Chapter Five

The Slave Market

To keep me from screaming for help or struggling with my binds, Benjamin and his friends loaded me into a wooden cart stuffed with sacks of hay, gagged me with a strip of burlap, and hid me. My mother's advice didn't help this time. I wept: for my sister's betrayal, my mother, whom I would probably never see again, and for Seth, who was the only person and friend who understood me.

When the wooden cart jolted to a stop, I was awakened from my restless sleep. As Benjamin and his friends gathered their possessions and such, I sat in the heap of burlap and listened to the sounds around me, determined to know where I was.

"What is in your market today, Benjamin?"

"Slaves, of the finest origin," Benjamin answered in his most sincere tone.

"Ah, for what price?"

"That will be determined in an auction." Benjamin replied. "Now, excuse me, I must prepare my slaves for the event."

I listened in on the conversation with disgust.

"An auction! How horrid!" I thought to myself as I imagined myself standing atop a crate in front of all ranks of nobility.

Suddenly, the crate lurched, as if someone was picking it up by one end, and I gripped the sides of the wooden cart in fear. I could feel the dirt road beneath the cart, but I never let go of the sides, it was as if my fear had paralyzed them there. I didn't want to be sold in an auction, and I certainly didn't want to work everyday for the rest of my life!

The cart rolled to a stop, and there was a creak as Benjamin lifted the heavy wooden door that encased the burlap sacks and I.

"Get out," he ordered, "and don't wander."

As I stepped out of the cart and let go of the wooden sides, I felt a sharp pain in the palms of my hands. I looked down, and realized that they were pierced with thousands of splinters.

"Oh well," I thought. "A new injury for every pain."

When Benjamin was done unloading the cart, he came over to me and tied my splintered hands with a thick rope. Then, he led me into a pure white tent on the side of the road: I was unprepared for what I saw. Inside the tent, there were dozens of merchants and nobles, and even more slaves. Some had the beautiful skin color of dark chocolate, and some had the smooth color of melted caramel. I was the only slave with skin the color of milk. When I entered the tent, many of the waiting slaves glared at me, and some gave me apprehensive looks. The merchants all studied me with growing curiosity, while the nobles all stared at me with wide, opened mouths.

"It's because I'm pretty," I told myself.

It was true. I heard one merchant whispering to another that I would make a beautiful servant. I shuddered in disgust. If I were to be sold, I would like to be sold to someone who didn't have a scar running down his face.

One by one, Benjamin lined up the slaves, and he roughly pushed me in the back. I didn't mind: It meant that nobody would see me and purchase me.

"Are they here yet?" I heard a merchant whisper to his friend.

"They should be here soon enough."

I wondered who "They" were: a family of rich nobles or a group of successful merchants? I received my answer when a richly clothed page entered the tent.

"The royal family has arrived."

Benjamin, the obvious leader of the merchants, answered, "Andrew, please escort the royal family to their seats."

Silently, Andrew rose from his seat and walked out the tent. Everyone's eyes followed him while Benjamin whispered last minute orders.

"You are not to speak when spoken to, and you are not to disobey my orders."

Then, the tent's curtains drew back, and Andrew walked back in, escorting three richly clad royals. I studied them: the king looked like a wise and just ruler, while the queen looked like a woman with an incontrollable temper. The last royal who walked inside the tent was a boy about my age. I guessed that he was the prince. The prince was richly clad in a green tunic with golden embroidery: he had an air of arrogance, but I could tell that he had a kind heart that he hid under his serious expression.

"Slaves, rise." Benjamin commanded to us.

I rose, but behind the other slaves, I was so petite that I could not possibly be noticed.

"Who is willing to auction a slave?"

The majority of the room stood to study us. One by one, the slaves in front of me were auctioned, until I was completely visible to the crowd. To take my mind of the auction, I studied my splintered hands and tried to pick out the pieces of wood as accurately as possible.

"Well, hello dear child!" I looked up to see the king standing in front of me.

"Hello, your majesty." I swept into a deep curtsy that my mother taught me. When I looked up, the King was gazing down at me in great respect. He turned to a nearby slaveholder, Andrew, and questioned him.

"How much would you like for this dear child?"

"That would determine upon how much is auctioned, your majesty."

A merchant heard this and rushed up to Andrew, "I am willing to bid six shillings for this slave."

Silently, Andrew led me to a crate and told me to stand on it: I relented.

"Who would like to bid on this fine slave?"

I studied the tent. Many merchants rushed up to the crate, and even more nobles leisurely walked up to study me. In the back of the tent, the Prince sat quietly on a small stool. Our eyes met, but he quickly looked away.

A scream awoke me from my hazy state, "I bid 4 shillings!"

Suddenly, the room was filled with thousands of shouts.

"7 shillings!"

"10 shillings!"

"20 shillings!"

"40 shillings!"

The Kings voice boomed, " 100 shillings."

I gasped. Back home, 100 shillings was enough to buy a palace.

"Is any person willing to bid higher?" Benjamin queried the crowd.

"Wait!" the King exclaimed. "Dear child, what is your history?"

"I was stolen from my home and brought here as a item of purchase." I answered truthfully.

"How dare you speak!" Benjamin was red with rage as he raised his leather whip. He began to bring the whip down upon me, and I closed my eyes and waited for the piercing pain to come. When it didn't, I opened my eyes to see the Prince standing before me, shielding me from the whip.

"Since you did not deny the tale and resulted in violence, you will reduce the cost of the kidnapped slave to 57 shillings." He glared menacingly at Benjamin, daring him to object.

"Sold." Benjamin squeaked in reply: it was the weakest I had ever seen him be.

"We will take our leave, now." The King replied as he left the tent.

"Are you hurt?" The Prince held out his hand to help me up, and I accepted it.

"No, I'm fine." I answered, "Thank you for saving me, your highness."

"It's Kieren.' He smiled.

"Kieren!" I tried the name out in my mind. It was a wondrous name, but I only nodded and followed the prince out of the tent. The queen was waiting for us: she smiled at me with sincerity.

"Welcome to Kulornia, dear."

"Thank you, your majesty."

"You must have gone through many hardships."

"Many, your majesty."

"Taken from your family! It must have been horrid!" The queen shuddered.

I smiled, "It really did hurt in the beginning, but I have gotten used to a servant's life."

"That was very brave of you." The Prince spoke for the first time that we had been in the carriage. He looked at me with a new respect.

The King interrupted. "Since you have arrived from a different origin, you will receive a comfortable room in the castle and you will serve as a lady-in-waiting to the queen."

"I look forward to becoming great friends with you." The queen smiled.

"Your majesty?" I questioned the King, "May I have any more duties?"

"What do you wish to do?"

"I wish to hunt in the forest." I smiled, anticipating his reaction.

"You are good with a bow and arrow?" He sounded amused.

"Excellent." I answered.

"Very well, I will have the archery master accompany you tomorrow morning."

"Thank you." I was truly great full as the carriage rolled through the large iron gates to Kulornia's royal castle.


	7. The Hunt

Chapter Six

The Hunt

"Good morning." The Prince and his horse galloped to my side.

"Good morning, your highness." I replied while I saddled my borrowed horse.

"Kieren." He sighed.

"I can't, your highness."

"Yes you can. Ki-er-en. Try it." The Prince insisted.

"Yes, K-Kieren." I blushed.

Kieren smiled, "Did you know that you are the first person I met that looked to have a kind and decent heart?"

"No." I smiled, "Really?"

"Yes." He frowned, "I'm sorry, but I believe that I do not know your name."

"It's Arabella." I grinned broadly, "Just Arabella."

"Well, Arabella, I believe that you have just become my new subject of interest." Kieren smiled jokingly, and I laughed. Just then, the archery master's booming voice interrupted our conversation.

"Archers! Assemble!" He ordered.

I quickly mounted my horse and adjusted my bow and arrow.

"Now, in an hour, you will be required to assemble here. You are dismissed."

I urged my horse forward, and we sprinted into the forest. I heard the pounding of hooves behind me, and knew that it was the archery master and Kieren. Without a thought, I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds around me. Aside from the pounding of the hooves, my hunting instincts distinguished another sound: the sound of growling. I followed the noise and soon came face to face with a tall and majestic bear. The bear, threatened, rose to its full height and glared down at me. In response, I slowly pulled back my arrow, took careful aim, and released. It would have been a perfect shot, but just then, the bear returned to its normal height. Not wanting to waste a perfectly good shot, I shot another arrow towards the one that was still flying, intending to hit the end tip of the old arrow to turn it downward at the target. My plan was precise, and it prevailed. The bear, giving a final roar, tumbled to the ground.

Behind me, someone gasped. When I turned around, the archery master's eyes were as round as saucers, and Kieren's grin was wider than the Cheshire Cat's. I smiled, but just then, I saw dark figures loom above Kieren and the archery master. Before I could utter a cry of warning, a hand covered my mouth, and I heard the voice of the man whom I never wished to see again.

"Utter a sound, and I will torture you until you breathe your final breath." Benjamin whispered in my ear.

I looked up, and I could see Andrew, Ralph, and Finn as they carried of Kieren, who was now gagged and bound with ropes. The archery master lied on the forest floor in pain: he had a wound in his chest that was heavily gushing blood.

"Now, I will take you back to the castle, and you must tell the royal family that you failed to rescue the prince, and that you are willing to be sold into slavery once again." Benjamin seized me roughly by the shoulders.

"And if I don't?" I dared to ask.

"Then," Benjamin seemed to contemplate the question, "I will not harm the prince, and he will be returned to the castle."

I knew that his words were lies, and as I glanced back at the figures of Andrew and the others carrying Kieren to his death, I knew what I had to do. Slowly, without attracting Benjamin's attention, which was now averted to the archery master, I pulled out my small hunting knife that was hidden under my tunic, and plunged it into my captor's chest.

Benjamin let out a small cry of alarm, and fell heavily to the ground, clutching his chest. I didn't waste any time to think about how I had just killed a person for the first time: I ran after Kieren and his captors.

As I ran past trees, bushes, and boulders, all I thought of was recuing Kieren. I've known him for only a couple of days, but it seemed like a lifetime. As predicted, he had a kind and wondrous heart: one that was caring, understanding, and faithful. Sometimes, you just have to burrow deep inside one's heart to understand what they are truly like: just like an arrow.

"Hello, slave." I froze dead in my tracks. Andrew came out of the concealment of the woods, sword in hand. I drew my bow taut, ready to shoot an arrow when needed.

"I could make a deal." Andrew smiled as he motioned to the shadow in the forest. Finn emerged: in his grip was Kieren, held at the tip of a sharp dagger.

"If you lower your bow, and let us leave this kingdom in peace, I will hand the prince to you, and nobody will be harmed." Andrew intoned, "But if you assume your position, I will plunge this dagger into his heart."

I nodded, unable to speak. Then, I lowered my bow and arrow, but did not let go. All at once, Finn and Ralph dropped Kieren and turned to run, but Andrew wasn't done yet.

"Goodbye, Kulornia." He whispered, then shot an arrow straight at Kieren.

In panic, I threw myself at the Prince, and the arrow whizzed past, grazing my neck. Exhausted, I drew my bow taut and stood up, fully intending to shoot Andrew, but when I looked up, he was nowhere in sight.

Silently, I untied Kieren's binds and helped him up. He too, was silent.

Then he smiled, and gazed at me with a mixture of emotions that I couldn't decipher. "Thank you for saving my life."

I grinned, "I owed you."

"I know," Kieren whispered as he stepped closer. Then, without warning, he kissed me.

Sure, I've kissed guys before, so I wasn't completely clueless in the art, but this kiss was different. It filled my entire body with a tingling warmth. Maybe it was because this kiss was different, because it came from a boy who didn't like me for my beauty, but for my heart. In any case, I melted.

When it was over, I felt a bit woozy, and before I knew it, everything turned to black, again.


	8. The Proposal

Chapter Seven

The Proposal

When I woke up, memories flooded back into my mind, and just as I recollected my thoughts, the queen burst into the room and rushed to my side.

"Dear child, I have heard all about your courage and endurance from Kieren!" The Queen shouted with joy, "And I will be honored to have you as a daughter in law."

I wasn't sure I had heard the queen right, so I stayed silent.

"Mother!" Kieren rushed into the room and blushed from head to toe. Then, he knelt at my side.

"You were amazing in the forest," Kieren said. "You were-I scarcely believe how lucky I am. Growing up, I tried to imagine whom I would come to love, and I'd think, I hope she's clever, I hope we would have things to say to each other, and I wouldn't cry if she was a beauty as well. But I never imagined that I could meet a girl who had all those things! You're what I, and the kingdom, needs the most."

My stomach tingled pleasantly, "Am I really?"

"You're everything and more, Arabella."  
"I'd like to be." I answered truthfully.

"Then," Kieren asked in an anxious tone, "will you have me?"

"Yes," I smiled and laughed.

The queen smiled, "Welcome to the family, daughter."

I grinned, and I felt as though I had finally found a place where I belonged.


	9. Reunited

Chapter Eight

Reunited

Kieren and I were soon married, and five years later, we were crowned King and Queen of Kulornia. Villagers from every kingdom came to pay their respects to the new rulers of Kulornia.

"Your highness," a farmer knelt before me, "Please accept the sweetest tomatoes from my farm."

"Thank you." I smiled at the peasant, remembering that I was one, too.

"Your majesties," I heard a familiar voice, "Please accept this pouch of silver as a gift."

I looked up from the farmer to see my five sisters, and a great anger raged through me as I realized that the pouch of silver was the remnants of the payment that they had received for turning me in.

"Thank you for your gift," I spoke to them kindly, "Are you all siblings?"

"Yes, your majesty," Grace replied, "Our mother was too busy to make the trip, but she sends her blessings."

"Our brother, Seth, will be here soon!" Stella blurted out, and Angel elbowed her sister in the ribs.

"Is your mother worried about your journey here?" I asked them with complete sincerity while Kieran greeted the other well-wishers.

"She is, your majesty," Adelaide replied. "We are a long way from home."

"And she doesn't trust that your brother will protect you?" I queried.

"Well, the truth is, your majesty, we lost our youngest sister five years ago."

I tried to look curious, "Oh, and how is that?"

It was Grace who spoke up, "We lost her to a pack of wolves in the forest."

"More like a pack of slave traders!" I thought, but spoke to my sisters with kind words, "Oh, It must have been very hard for you dears."

"It was." My sisters feigned sadness.

I wanted to know more, "Why don't you girls join me at dinner, tonight, with your brother?"

Adelaide and Stella, without thinking, brightened up, "We would love to, your majesty!"

I smiled, "Very well, come to the palace throne room at noon."


	10. Forgiveness

Chapter Nine

Forgiveness

After the procession, I spent an hour in my room, crying.

"What's wrong, sweet?" Kieren walked in.

I could only utter, "Those girls."

"Those girls what?" Kieren asked.

"Those girls were my sisters!" I cried out, "and they sold me into slavery!"

Kieren was silent for a while, but he put a steady arm around my shoulders and spoke in a soft, comforting voice.

"Maybe they've changed." Was all he said. At that moment, a page walked in, notifying me that my guests had arrived.

"No, I don't think so, Kieren." I walked out of the room.

"Welcome." I smiled at my hated sisters, and my gaze fell on Seth. He had changed. His flail arms had turned muscular, and his form was larger. "You must be Seth." I smiled at my loving brother.

"Yes, your majesty." Seth replied, "thank you for inviting my sisters to dine with you."

"The pleasure is all mine!" I replied with all the sincerity that I could muster.

My sisters, Seth, and I all settled in our seats to dine. We all talked, I asked them about their history in Biddle, and I told them about my plans for the future of Kulornia. When Stella knocked over my mother-in-law's treasured vase, I was filled with pure anger.

"How dare you break the retired Queen's treasured vase!" I shouted at them, "Guards! Throw this one in prison." I pointed to Stella.

"No!" Grace screamed. "Your highness, take me instead!"

"No, me!" Adelaide yelled. Soon, the banquet hall was filled with my sister's shouts of "Take me instead".

I scoffed, "You would sacrifice your freedom for a spoiled sister?"

"Yes." Grace whispered.

"Why?" I queried, "Why would you do something like that?"

"Because we wouldn't want our mother to go through the same pain again." Marie spoke for the first time, "You see, your highness, our sister wasn't killed by wolves. We were blinded by jealousy and sold her into slavery."

"We immensely regret our decisions," Angel sobbed.

"Please, your highness, let our sister go." Grace knelt and grasped the hem of my skirt.

My feelings for revenge broke. They had changed!

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I knelt beside Grace, "Grace, I'm your sister, Arabella, and I understand why you sold me into slavery, but I forgive you, because I know that you've learned your lesson."

"Arabella?" Adelaide let out a sob, "I'm so sorry!"

"We're all sorry!" Marie exclaimed as she rushed to hug me. Stella and Angel followed, tears streaming down their faces. Seth stood outside the group, his mouth open in shock.

"Seth!" I cried aloud as I rushed to hug him.

"Arabella, I thought you were gone forever!" I could see that he was trying to choke back sobs.

"I have so much to tell you all, so many stories to share," I laughed, truly happy. "You will all move in with me! Bring mother, too."


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

Things turned out quite well after that. I got to see mother again, and I was reunited with my family. Kieren got along quite well with Seth, and soon, they were best friends. I didn't feel left out though, because now, I have my sisters to keep me company. We've already shared stories and fears, things that we should've done when we were small children. I told them about my first, meaningful kiss, and in turn, they told me about theirs.

Grace, now being the age of 28, married to a handsome nobleman whom she claimed had "more guts than that of a fish". Stella went to pursue her lifelong dream of being a tailor, and Marie became the author of three widely known romance novels. Adelaide married a Spanish farmer, and grew sweet tomatoes for the royal castle's Thanksgiving feasts.

As for Kieren and I, we invented many renovating inventions for the kingdom. We forbid slavery, and captured Andrew, Finn, and Ralph, who were charged with the act of illegal slaveholding.

In the end, it seemed that everything in life fell into place, and when I first brought a new soul into the world, I knew that Kulornia would be the most peaceful kingdom for centuries to come.


End file.
